April 8, 2025 Committee of the Full Board Item 4
Instructional Materials Review and Approval Cycle 2025 Update
April 11, 2025
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides an opportunity for staff to present updates on Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) Cycle 2025. The presentation will include an update on reviewer recruitment and logistics for IMRA reviewer training and review milestones.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.022 and §31.023, as amended by HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023.
TEC, §31.022, as amended by HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to review instructional materials that have been provided to the board by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) under TEC, §31.023.
TEC, §31.023, as amended by HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, requires the commissioner of education to establish, in consultation with and with the approval of the SBOE, a process for the annual review of instructional materials by TEA. In conducting a review under this section, TEA must use a rubric developed by TEA in consultation with and approved by the SBOE.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: At the August–September 2023 meeting, the Committee of the Full Board discussed the IMRA process and discussed the approach to developing the quality rubric criteria and process.
At the February 2024 meeting, the board approved IMRA Quality Rubrics aligned to K–3 and 4–8 English language arts and reading, K–3 and 4–6 Spanish language arts and reading, and K–12 mathematics.
At the June 2024 meeting, the Committee of the Full Board discussed a multi-year timeline for IMRA cycles including the development of quality rubrics.
The Committee of the Full Board also discussed IMRA Cycle 2025 draft rubrics and the after-action report where there were findings for some improvements to the existing quality rubrics at the September 2024 meeting.
At the November 2024 meeting, the State Board of Education approved the quality rubric for supplemental math for the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process and the quality rubrics, as presented by staff, for the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process.
At the January 2025 meeting, staff presented updates on IMRA Cycle 2025. The presentation included a preliminary list of materials for review and an overview of the instructional materials market landscape. The board, by majority vote, required certain instructional materials to be reviewed in IMRA Cycle 2025.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: TEC, Chapter 31, addresses instructional materials in public education and permits the SBOE to adopt rules for the adoption, requisition, distribution, care, use, and disposal of instructional materials. HB 1605, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, significantly revises TEC, Chapter 31, including several provisions under SBOE authority. HB 1605 also added a new provision to TEC, Chapter 48, to provide additional funding to school districts and charter schools that adopt and implement SBOE approved materials.
TEC, 31.002 as amended by HB 1605, 88 Regular Session, 2023, expanded the definition of instructional materials to include full-subject, tier-one; partial-subject, tier-one; and supplemental instructional materials.
TEC, 31.023(a)(1)(B) requires that any process developed for the review of instructional materials includes a process for the agency to review materials if the State Board of Education requests by a majority vote that the material be reviewed by the agency.
TEC, 31.023(a)(1) requires the agency to establish, in consultation with and with the approval of the State Board of Education, a process for the annual review of instructional materials by the agency. This process must include a process for the agency to select instructional materials for review.
The Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) Process was approved by the SBOE on February 2, 2024. Step 16 of that process outlines the prioritization protocol for the agency to apply when total programs to review exceed agency capacity for reviews. That protocol was applied and now the final list is being shared back to the SBOE for their information.
Staff Members Responsible:
Colin Dempsey, Director, District Operations, Technology, and Sustainability Supports
Amie Phillips, Director, Instructional Materials Review and Approval
Separate Exhibit:
Slide Presentation IMRA Cycle 2025 Update
(to be provided in advance of the April 2025 SBOE meeting)